Television and Education Research: Balancing Benefits and Risks
As technology continues to evolve, the influence of television and other screen-based media on education has become a subject of considerable interest and debate. While concerns about excessive screen time and its potential negative impacts on children's development are valid, research also suggests that thoughtful and interactive engagement with television can offer educational benefits. This article explores the multifaceted relationship between television and education, examining both the potential advantages and disadvantages, and providing guidance for parents and educators on how to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks.
The Evolution of Educational Television
Educational television has a rich history, with roots stretching back to the early days of the motion picture industry. As early as 1910, educators recognized the potential of film as a teaching tool, and by the 1930s, discussions were underway regarding the allocation of the television broadcast spectrum for educational purposes.
The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
A pivotal moment in the history of educational television was the passage of the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act, which led to the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the establishment of PBS. This act aimed to provide a platform for educational programming that emphasized culture, arts, science, and public affairs, while also serving underserved audiences such as minorities and children.
Educational TV in the Classroom
By the 1970s, educational television had become firmly entrenched in American classrooms, with a significant percentage of teachers utilizing it as a regular instructional tool. Science, social studies, language arts, reading, and health/nutrition were among the most popular topics covered by educational television programs.
The Impact of the Worldwide Web
The rise of the internet in the 1990s brought about a paradigm shift in the delivery of educational content, offering more interactive and user-controlled experiences. While the internet has undoubtedly transformed education, television continues to play a role, particularly when integrated with online resources.
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The Benefits of Co-Viewing
One approach to maximizing the educational benefits of television is co-viewing, where parents or caregivers actively watch and engage with the content alongside children. This interactive approach can enhance learning, foster communication, and promote emotional development.
Contingent Engagement
Learning for young children is driven by human interactions. Contingent engagement, a back-and-forth exchange between a child and an adult in response to what they are watching, is crucial. This kind of interaction helps children understand that their actions have an effect and that they will receive a response.
Shared Language and Real-World Application
Watching media together gives parent and child a shared language with which to communicate when they’re not watching. By really being involved you can get more mileage out of those lessons and adapt and use it in everyday life.
Active Viewing Strategies
Adults can model “active viewing” by encouraging children to actively engage with the content they’re seeing on screens. Parents talking about what they’re seeing either during the experience or afterwards can be important. The more an adult can encourage conversation around that experience the deeper the experience becomes. Strategies that actively engage young children during screen time include asking open-ended questions.
Emotional Self-Regulation
As kids get a little older, they begin to reflect on the behavior and decisions of characters on shows they watch. When parents watch with their kids they can use strategies on the shows in the real world to coach kids on emotional regulation. It’s good for parent and child to be working from the same playbook.
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Addressing Stereotypes and Soft Cue Sexism
Co-viewing from a relatively young age also sets up a precedent that screen time is something that kids and parents share. Parents can talk to their children about the messaging in the show and by asking questions so that he sees some of the stereotypes and some of the sexist stuff that’s being said.
Potential Risks of Excessive Screen Time
While television can offer educational benefits, excessive screen time, particularly without active engagement, can pose risks to children's cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development.
Cognitive Development
Studies have shown that excessive screen time can negatively impact executive functioning, sensorimotor development, and academic outcomes. Early screen media exposure has been linked to decreased participation in class and lower math proficiency.
Language Development
Screen time can diminish the quantity and quality of interactions between children and their parents, resulting in fewer chances for the child to practice and develop their language abilities. The impact of screen viewing is predominantly influenced by contextual factors rather than the sheer amount of time spent watching.
Social-Emotional Development
Excessive screen usage has detrimental effects on social and emotional growth, including a rise in the likelihood of obesity, sleep disorders, and mental health conditions including depression and anxiety. It can obstruct the ability to interpret emotions, fuel aggressive conduct, and harm one's psychological health in general.
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The Blurring Boundaries Between Work and Home Life
The presence of smartphones blurs the boundaries between work and home life, making timing unpredictable, and frequently requiring emotional investment to respond to them.
Managing Screen Time: A Guide for Parents
Given the potential risks associated with excessive screen time, it is essential for parents to actively manage their children's media consumption. Here are some strategies to consider:
Setting Boundaries and Using Parental Controls
Setting boundaries, utilizing parental controls, and demonstrating good screen behavior are all techniques that parents may use to manage children's screen usage. Parental restrictions on screen time and the absence of screens in bedrooms both significantly lower screen time.
Choosing High-Quality Content
Making sure that your child is watching programs that teach the kinds of lessons you’d like your child to learn is another strong argument for co-watching. High-quality content can enhance social and language skills for all children aged two years and older, particularly for those who are living in poverty or facing other disadvantages.
Encouraging Alternative Activities
In addition to providing guidance, it is crucial to offer families alternative options to media use that promote positive development, such as parent-child play activities.
Ideal Discretionary Screen Time Limits
Ideal discretionary screen time limits are 0.5-1 hour/day for three to seven-year-olds, one hour for 7-12-year-olds, 1.5 hours for 12-15-year-olds, and two hours for 16+-year-olds.
Role Modeling
Role modeling is also another crucial element. The amount of screen time parents and kids watch is closely associated; kids who live in homes where watching TV is encouraged (e.g., meals eaten in front of the TV and the TV is on when the child gets home from school) are more likely to engage in binge-watching themselves.
Educational Television in the Modern Era
While the delivery methods for educational content have evolved, the fundamental principles of educational television remain relevant.
Cable in the Classroom
Cable in the Classroom (CIC) was begun by America's cable companies in 1989. Beyond its original mission of providing educational television via cable, CIC delivers the following services for K-12 public schools and public libraries:Free cable/broadband access, Hours of educational television, Educator resources to equip teachers to make the most of student viewing, Online resources to reinforce what was being watched.
Making the Most of Educational Television
Experts from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting offer this advice for teachers: Planning ahead to consider instructional goals, Preparing by previewing the program.
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